ASHLAND — Most children at Lincoln Park on Tuesday had no idea why a group of adults were speaking at a podium on the basketball court.
They were busy running, laughing (and screaming) while enjoying the new playground at the corner of Troy Road and West 11th Street.
City officials and community members gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and celebration of Ashland’s newest park, brought to life thanks to a partnership between the city and the Rotary Club of Ashland.
Lincoln Park includes playground equipment, a basketball court, pavilions, benches, picnic tables and a dog park.
The 1.4-acre lot was formerly the site of Lincoln Elementary School, which closed in 2013 and was razed two years later. The property’s playground and park were also removed in 2015.
Mayor Matt Miller said about seven years ago, a group of former Lincoln Elementary teachers contacted him and proposed a collaboration to bring a park to the property.
“When these teachers approached us, certainly we felt it was a good idea. We thought we could get community support behind it,” Miller said. “But the truth is, there really wasn’t any budget set aside in the city budget to build a new park.”
In 2025, the city worked with Ashland City Schools and Supt. Steve Paramore to purchase the property from the district for $1,000.
Ashland Rotarian Maryanne Wise shared a call with the mayor not long after to discuss project opportunities for the club.
“She saw the vision and the next thing I know I’m sitting at the bistro at Brethren Care with a whole bunch of Rotarians and everyone (was) brainstorming about what should go in this space,” Miller said. “Today, here we are with a wonderful addition to our community, brought to us with the help of the Ashland Rotary Club.”
The Rotary Club spearheaded fundraising for the project, raising $88,900. Miller said the city’s share hovered around $160,000, of which about $130,000 was covered through a Community Development Block Grant.
The full list of donors to the park includes:
- Rotary Club of Ashland
- Ashland County Community Foundation
- The Norma Foundation
- Ralph and Betty Jo Tomassi
- Gabe and Ellen Bradshaw
- Brian and Melissa Culler
- Ted and Kathy Daniels
- Neil and Susan Hinkle
- Friends of Jordan Caldwell
- Tom and Mary McNaull
- Dennis and Kolleen Miller
- Pat Perez
- Lee and Dawn Peters
- Brock and Angela Ringler
- William and Alison Roepke
- Wayne and May Sholes
- Hutch and Angela Woodward
- Dr. Stephen and Peggy Yoder
- Simonson Construction
- Nardo’s Landscaping
- Lee Concrete
- Willo’dell Nursery
Dr. Stephen Yoder, president of the Ashland Rotary Club, said the project was dear to the club’s heart.
“I’d like to thank the city for all their help and support. We had a lot of folks contribute,” Yoder said. “There’s a lot of Rotarians that helped and I’d like to thank everyone.”
Below are photos from Tuesday’s opening of Lincoln Park. (Credit: Hayden Gray) The story continues below.
‘Service above self’
Rotary District #6600 Gov. Katherine Eboch said she was excited to see the final product of the collaborative effort between so many groups, organizations and individuals.
“Rotary International is a service organization with the motto ‘Service above self,’ so it’s so great to see the club put that to work and make such a great park,” Eboch said.
State Rep. Melanie Miller (R-Ashland) presented the city and Rotary Club with a proclamation on behalf of the Ohio House of Representatives.
She recalled during her time as Mrs. Ohio America in 2011 hosting tea parties at Lincoln Elementary for young girls to learn about etiquette and manners.
“This project is so much more than swings and slides and an open space. Truly it’s about bringing families together,” she said. “As I’m standing here, over to the side I’m closing my eyes just taking in the wonderful sounds of our children enjoying this space.”
Donations fueled basketball court, dog park
The Norma Foundation donated the new basketball court at Lincoln Park.
Matt Miller said the foundation went above and beyond to contribute to the project.
Abby Conner, operations assistant at The Norma Foundation, a private non-profit organization with a business mindset that funds charitable organizations, said the group’s involvement expanded from just assisting with the park’s dog park.
Conner said after visiting the site, the foundation felt like there was ample green space available to utilize.
“We determined we had enough space for a basketball court, so we decided to provide additional funding to help build a basketball court,” she said. “We hope that this will be a resource that the community can use for many, many years.”
The mayor added an eight-foot chain link fence will be installed around the court in the near future to prevent basketballs from rolling onto the nearby streets.
Ralph and Betty Jo Tomassi provided a significant amount of funding to the project, particularly the dog park.
Ralph Tomassi said the project fit them perfectly and thanked all parties who helped make it happen.
The mayor said Ashland City Schools still has the original cornerstone from the Lincoln Elementary property and plans to transfer ownership to the city so it can be installed at the park, along with a flagpole.
